Method of making sides of coffins.



No. muss. Patented Oct. [4, 1902;.

L. G. KREGEL. METHOD OF MAKING SIDES 0F OOFFINS.

(Application flled May 19, 1902.) (No Model.)

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UMTED STA TES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS G. KREGEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

METHOD OF MAKING SIDES OF COFFINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 711,055, dated October 14,1902.

Application filed May 19, 1902.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS G. KREGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Sides of Coffins, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My present invention relates to a method of making the bulged sides of coffins which are composed of boards having kerfs extending in the direction of their lengths and in which glued fillers are inserted. Such a coffin side is shown and described in my Patent No. 686,308, dated November 12, 1901.'

My new method consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings show an apparatus by the use of which my improved method may be carried into effect, and a description of the apparatus will disclose and make clear my improved method.

Figure I is a perspective View of the apparatus. Fig. II is a side view showing the side piece opened out to receive the filler. Fig. III is a side view showing the side piece bent and held in the form after the filler has been inserted. Fig. IV is a longitudinal section. Fig. V is a bottom view of the clip-piece of the apparatus.

I will proceed to describe the apparatus and its operation, which will make clear the method feature of my invention.

1 represents a suitable bed-plate or table upon which rests a form 2, having a bulge or curve corresponding to the bulge to be given to the side pieces of the coffiu. To the curved end of this form is secured a clip 3 by means of a bolt 4, the bolt passing through a slot 5 in the form, so that the clip can be adjusted to provide for more or less length of bulge to be given to the side pieces.- The clip has a base 6, that rests on the form 2 and hears a vertical web 7, from the top of which projects a horizontal flange 3, on the under side of which is a sharp-edged tooth 9. Overhanging the tooth 9 is a lip 10. The base 6 is formed with a socket 11, and projecting for- 'also in Fig. IV.

wardly from the front face of the web 7 are Serial No. 108,055. (No model.)

a number of stop-ribs 12, (see Fig. V,) that extend in height from the form 2 to the under side of the flange 8 and not as far forward as the tooth 9. (See Fig. IV.) The clip, consisting of the parts mentioned, is preferably made in a single casting.

Secured to the form 2 are a pair of hooks 13, as clearly shown in Fig. I.

14 represents a lever having a hooked finger 15 for engagement with the socket 11.

16 represents a key formed to engage with the hooks 13.

The operation is as follows: After the kerf 17 is formed in the side pieces 18 of the coffin (which is preferably done by means of a saw) the side piece is placed with one of its flaps or members formed by the kerf beneath the lip 10. The side piece is then bent down into the form by pressing on its outer end, which can be done by hand, causing the kerf to open out, as shown in F1". II. The glued filler 19 is now inserted in the kerf and the outer end of the side piece is raised and the side piece is moved slightly toward the clip 3 until its upper face is beneath the tooth 9, as'shown in Fig. IV, care being taken to move the inner end of the side piece farenough forward to engage the stop-ribs 12 The nut of bolt tis then tightened up, which forces the sharpedge of the tooth 9 slightly into the upper part of the side piece. The lever 14: is now applied, blocks 20 being inserted between the lever and the outer end of the side piece. Pressure is now applied to the outer end of the lever, which causes the side piece to be bent down onto the form 2, as shown in Fig. III, As the side piece is bent to the shape of the form as above described the lower member of the kerfed part of the side piece will move forwardly against the stopribs 12 and cause said stop-ribs to become embedded in said side piece, this action being necessary for the purpose of affording a yielding resistance for said lower member as the side piece is bent to the form, and in comingagainst the stop-ribsalongitudinaltension will be exerted on the upper member of the kerfed part of the side piece, this member being held from movement by the sharp edge of the tooth 9, which bites into it. This longitudinal strain on the upper member of the side piece causes it to be placed undertension and drawn tightly down onto the filler, so that the upper and lower members of the kerfed portion of the side piece and the filler 19 are all tightly drawn together, forming a perfect union, and the stretching tension on the upper member of the kerfed part of the side piece prevents a tendency that it would otherwise have to crack or break as the side piece is bent to the shape of the form. When the side piece has been bent down onto the form, the key 16 is inserted to hold it in this position until the glue that has been applied to the filler 19 has become sufficiently dried to form a bond between the filler and the adjacent faces of the side-piece members. The side pieces can then be removed from the form and will be found to retain the bulge that has been imparted to them. Bulged side pieces forcofiinscan in this manner be made out of a number of narrow boards having perfect bulged portions, whereas heretofore it has been customary to use single boards for each side of the coffin in order to get perfect bulges in the boards, and the steaming of the boards is unnecessary,as the bulges are maintained by the gluing of the parts together instead of being maintained by a set prod uced by bending the side pieces when steammoistened and holding them in their bent condition until dry, as has heretofore been the practice.

I claim as my invention 1. The method of forming bulged side pieces for coffins, consisting in first forming kerfs therein,then inserting a glued filler, and then bending the side pieces while the upper member of the kerfed portion is held from longitudinal movement, substantially as set forth.

. 2. The method of forming bulged side pieces for coffins, consisting in first forming kerfs therein, then inserting a glued filler, and then bending the side pieces to form the bulge, while the upper member of the kerfed portion is held from longitudinal movement, while the lower member is allowed to move slightly forward and then held from further longitudinal movement, substantially as set forth.

LOUIS G. KREGEL.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, M. P. SMITH. 

